Sorting of mail, whether accomplished within a large company or at the post office, is an extremely labor-intensive task. In the 1960s, the United States Postal Service instituted ZIP codes to simplify the sorting process. ZIP codes have provided a means by which the destination of a piece of mail can be quickly determined, and ZIP codes are now standard throughout the nation. ZIP codes became particularly popular with bulk mailers, because they were entitled to a discount on presorted, ZIP-coded mail.
Recently, the Postal Service increased the number of digits of the ZIP code from five to nine, to provide a more detailed specification of destination. Although the new nine-digit entries are potentially more useful, they place a greater demand upon the sorting process. Obviously, the longer digit codes take longer to read and recognize, whether interpreted by human or machine.
The Postal Service continues to automate its sorting procedures and equipment. It upgraded its ability to process large-volume bulk mail (including catalogues, magazines and direct-marketing envelopes) by installing a new series of bar-code reading scanners. Bar codes are interpreted and the pieces of mail dropped into an appropriate bin. The new scanners were developed by Intermec Corporation, a division of Litton Industries. Unlike earlier postal scanners, the new units are able to read bar codes, regardless of where they are placed on the face of a piece of mail, and regardless of the orientation of the piece of mail. Although most conventional present-day scanners employ lasers, these newer scanners use a high-speed camera and an image processing computer.
While the above-mentioned scanning system is useful in the processing of bulk, bar-code imprinted mail, it is not designed to operate with ordinary pieces of mail. Ordinary mail is still processed using conventional, arabic numeral ZIP codes to perform the sorting procedure. In addition, the new equipment is far too expensive for mail room applications in all but the largest companies.
The problem with the ZIP coding of mail, however, is that not all ZIP codes are machine-readable. Most handwritten and typewritten ZIP codes still must be read by human operators. Furthermore, the low volume of mail at regional and rural post offices cannot justify the installation and use of present-day, expensive, ZIP code reading machinery to read the portion of mail which has machine-printed ZIP codes. These offices continue to use human operators to read and sort all mail.
The present invention seeks to improve the sorting procedure of mail by merging bar code technology with a simple entry guide outline, using handwritten entries of, among other information, ZIP codes. The invention allows the individual addressing a letter to indicate the ZIP code with handwritten numerals making them machine-readable. The invention, therefore, will provide a means by which the above-mentioned, new, high-speed scanners can process regular hand-addressed mail as well as bar coded bulk mail.
The invention can represent information other than ZIP codes. One such application relates to bank checks. Most personal checks are handwritten. Although bank codes, accounting and check number information is normally pre-printed in machine-readable format, the handwritten "dollar amount" information on the check has to be manually processed and entered into the computer by bank employees. Manual processing is mandatory, because bank employees are required by law to verify signatures and resolve occasional differences between handwritten and computerized dollar entries. The invention disclosed herein is expected to be applicable to automated processing of bank checks.
The invention is also expected to apply to industrial applications, including inventory control, part numbering and lot tracking. Bar codes alone are presently used for these applications, but they are awkward for use with low-volume or custom production. ZIPWrite graphics, as presented in this invention, provides a way for personnel to mark such production manually without the complications which attend current bar code marking operations. ZIPWrite graphics allows manual insertion of machine-readable ZIP code on pieces of mail. ZIPWrite is manually readable, as well as machine readable, which provides ease of transition between manual sorting and automated system processing. Therefore, the invention can be easily adapted to all modes of processing and accommodated by upgraded systems.
Although, for simplicity and clarity of exposition, subsequent discussion of the invention refers almost exclusively to mail industry operations, the invention is clearly useful in other applications.